Tropical Storm Warning Issued: Prepare for Wind and Flooding in East MS

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for multiple counties in East Mississippi, including Choctaw, Clarke, Clay, Forrest, Jasper, Jones, Kemper, Lauderdale, Lowndes, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Winston. The National Weather Service in Jackson, MS, issued this alert at 10:35 PM CDT on October 9th.

Hurricane Isaias has made landfall on the Florida coast and is expected to bring tropical storm force wind gusts to eastern and northeastern Mississippi overnight into Saturday. Residents in these areas should prepare for potential downed trees and power outages. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are also possible, particularly in the Golden Triangle area. Conditions are expected to improve late Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening.

Impacts include possible damage to porches, sheds, and mobile homes, broken tree limbs, and scattered power and communications outages. The Golden Triangle area faces potential significant flooding, which could lead to evacuations and road closures. Locally hazardous rainfall flooding is also possible across East Mississippi.

Now is the time to complete all preparations to protect life and property. Ensure you are in a safe location before strong winds or flooding begin. Monitor weather.gov, NOAA Weather radio, or local news for official storm information. For preparedness resources, visit ready.gov, getagameplan.org, or redcross.org. The next update is expected around 4 AM or sooner.